EHLP: Premier Finds a Way, Secures Four Points

Walpole, MA - In both of their weekend matchups, the Walpole Express Premier team found them selves trailing by 3 goals at the start of the third periods. On Friday, the team found themselves down 4-1, on Saturday, down 3-0. In each of these games the team rallied to win. First against the New England Wolves, 5-4, and again on Sunday morning, 5-3 against the Boston Jr. Rangers. “I think it speaks volumes about the group we have this season,” Coach Polino said. “The team never seems to panic, they find a way to dig their heals in and not give up.”

On Friday afternoon, the Premier team traveled to Laconia, New Hampshire to take on the New England Wolves. The Wolves jumped out to an early lead, scoring nearly two minutes into the contest, and again with five minutes remaining in the first to end the period up 2-0. Then in the second the Wolves would score twice more to increase their lead to 4-0. In the dying minutes of the frame, Tristan Araujo (Vineyard Haven, MA) would join the rush and score his first of the season off a pass from Trevor Crowe (Berkley, MI). “It was an important goal for the team. It was Tristan’s first game with the team so I think it lit a fire under some of the other guys,” said Polino. The third would prove to be the Express’s period. Mike Meredith (Fredonia, NY) would tally a minute into the period to get the ball rolling. David Cunniff (Milton, MA) would then score on the power-play to bring the team to within one. Jake Geller (Brookline, MA) would tie the game at 4-4 less than two minutes later off a rebound from a Jacob Crespo (Eastampton, NJ). Then, with about ten minutes remaining in the contest, Ryan Miller (Buffalo, NY) would burry a shot from the goal mouth to give the team the eventual game winner. Christian Pelligrino (Arnold, MD) would stop 17 of 21 shots in the winning effort.

Sunday would prove to be a similar story. In their first game at home this season the Premier team found themselves trailing the Jr. Rangers 2-0 at the end of the first. The Rangers would score the lone goal in the 2nd period and increase their lead to 3-0. The comeback kids would go to work in the 3rd. Frist with a goal from Miller on the power-play, then again with a goal from Araujo. In the last five minutes of the game, with the score 3-2 Jr. Rangers, Crespo would tie the game with a shot from the point. Geller would score the go ahead goal, with just over a minute to play, give the Express a 4-3 lead. Nick Terry (Taunton, MA) would seal the game with an empty netter in the dying seconds of the game. Pelligrino would get his 3rd win of the season stopping 35 of 38 shots.

“I think both comebacks this weekend prove to this group that we have a bright future in front of us but that we still have a lot to learn as this season gets going,” stated Polino. “We need to find a way as a group to replicate our 3rd periods throughout an entire 60 minutes.” The Express have scored 14 goals this season, 11 in the third period. The team is back in action next Sunday, October 1st, against the Jr. Rangers.